Apple may add Siri Shortcuts and Screen Time features to macOS

Screen Time feature on macOS would work exactly the way it works on iOS, which means that macOS users would be asked either to close the app or unlock the app using a passcode when they exceed their daily limit.

Shweta Ganjoo

New Delhi

April 20, 2019

UPDATED: April 23, 2019 08:27 IST

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HIGHLIGHTS

Apple will host WWDC 2019 between June 3 and June 7.

Apple may introduce Siri Shortcuts feature to macOS.

Apple may introduce Screen Time feature to macOS.

Apple is scheduled to host its annual Worldwide Developers Conference at the McEnery Convention Centre in San Jose, California from June 3 through June 7, where the company is expected to unveil developments to its iOS, macOS and other operating systems. Ahead of Apple's annual event details about some of those updates have started surfacing on the internet. And a new report suggests that the Cupertino, California based company is planning to bring Siri Shortcuts and Screen Time features to macOS.

According to a report by 9To5Mac, macOS 10.15 will include support for Siri Shortcuts feature that was first introduced by the company in iOS 12. The Siri Shortcuts feature allows the iOS users to create custom Siri voice commands for actions within a particular app. Now, the report suggests that soon with the release of macOS 10.15, Mac users will be able to use similar Siri voice commands on their Mac devices.

As per the report, only the "Marzipan apps" - the apps the Apple has imported from iOS to MacOS - will be able to take advantage of the Siri Shortcuts. People closer to the matter told the publication that Apple is also working on bring the virtual assistant (Siri) on macOS closer to the virtual assistant on iOS. This means that if all goes well soon macOS users will be able to set timers and alarms and ask Siri about their city's air quality on their macOS-supported devices just as they do on their iPhones.

Apart from the Siri Shortcuts, Apple is also working on bring the Screen Time feature - the one that notifies iOS 12 users about the time that they have spent on their device and on individual apps - on macOS. This feature was introduced by the company as a part of its digital health initiative on iOS last year.

As per the report, the Screen Time feature on macOS would work just as it does on iOS. This means that users will be able to set their daily limits on their screen time. And when they exceed their dial limit they would be asked either to close the app or unlock the app using a passcode.

Other reports have also given tidbits of what Apple might announce at the WWDC 2019. For instance, prior reports have suggests that Apple might introduce a system wide dark mode in iOS 13 and that it might combine its Find My Friends and Find My iPhone app, but we have to wait for the event to get an official confirmation from the company.